Open-Source Technique for GM Crops

a_d_white writes "The Biological Innovation for Open Society has developed TransBacter, a new technique for creating genetically modified crops, which is being released as a BioForge project. Their license allows anyone to use and improve the technique as long as improvements are shared with everyone, à la open source. Other techniques for creating genetically modified crops rely on Agrobacterium, but this new method allows using bacteria outside this genus. The New York Times and Wired cover the story. The founding of BIOS was mentioned previously. Although the Nature paper is available from the BIOS website, with their emphasis on the free sharing of ideas it's rather ironic that the technique was not reported in an open-access journal."

Comments

*Boo-Hoo*

[OzPhIsH]

Whaaah. I'm a big jerk residing in a rich liberal nation. I always have plenty to eat and it costs next to nothing, thanks to outragous government subsidies to prop up my developed nations faltering agricultural industry, keeping poor developing nations poor in one of the only industries they might possibly compete. I really don't understand GM technology, but due to the social status quo of my liberal country, I think it should be banned. I might have grandchildren with the improper amount of toes! Meanwhile, I will continue to selfishly whine about GM foods and lobby to ban the technology while millions and millions of mal nourished, hungry people in the third world continue their daily struggle to find enough food for themselves and their children. Unlike my country, there is no abundance of food in stores at every street corner. No hundreds of restraunts to choose from at any given time. So while I'm stuffing my face until my belly is full (With only ORGANIC foods by the way), I will continue to selfishly oppose GM technology that could assist in the survival of Millions of people. Millions. I think that they just be forced to starve so GM foods can't possible "ruin" natural strains foods. Hmm, the possibility that the social backlash in my country against GM foods is propogated by our state owned media, reflecting the fact that we have no representatives in this field, therefore garnishing no benefits for our country's economy never occured to me. No, I'm not a sheep, or an elitist liberal fuck. Not at all.